Deep Purple

“Hello hello,” booms the voice of Roger Glover, the man who essentially played the bassline to many childhoods (including this writer’s).

While not the most prominent or vocal member of Deep Purple throughout their complicated history, the now-Switzerland based Glover is recognised as one of the architects of arguably the band’s finest artistic period.

Labelled as Deep Purple “Mark II”, the classic lineup featured Glover, Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice and the late Jon Lord. In their brief, tumultuous run together they released at least two classic albums, Deep Purple In Rock and Machine Head, and helped form the tenets of heavy metal and modern rock music in the process.

Now approximately seven lineups later, Deep Purple still stands strong with originals Glover, Paice and Gillan joined by relative new recruits Steve Morse and Don Airey.

Experiencing possibly the most demand they’ve ever had as a touring band, Deep Purple was on the tail-end of an eight week tour of Europe, as we caught the legendary bassist for a chat in Toulouse, France.

“We live on the road, we’re a road band, [we] always will be,” Glover states matter-of-factly. The longest break they have taken in the past 20 years was earlier this year, as the band headed to Nashville to record their yet-to-be-titled upcoming 13th album with the legendary Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper).

For those worrying about a “Deep Purple goes country” album, Glover clarifies that the trek to Nashville was simply to work with Ezrin, who the bassist calls “one of those magic guys.”

“We live on the road, we’re a road band, [we] always will be…”

He does concede though that country music may have rubbed off slightly on the recording process. “There’s one song with pedal steel, as sort of a nod to Nashville, if you like… [otherwise] we make music the same way we always did, which is just get together and jam.”

Overlooking any overly indulgent guitar solos, or Spinal Tap style pretensions, these freewheeling jam sessions have resulted in some of their finest work over the years. “It’s fun really and out of the jams come ideas and we cobble them together. We always did it that way. We don’t write songs, they just evolve out of the playing,” explains Glover. “I don’t think we can work any other way.”

The notion of one band member walking into the studio and proposing a song to the other members is one that would never happen, according to ol’ Rog. “The way we play is as much a part of the song as the song itself. It’s down to the individual musicianship and that’s a big part of what Deep Purple is all about.”

While in some fields they would be looming in the dreaded “retirement age”, it’s the only way of life Glover and his bandmates know. In the face of changing times, there is still a place for veterans who have been around the world their share of times.

“We’re not affected by what’s in the charts or what’s popular or what the current trend is. We’re completely distant from all that hoopla,” Glover asserts.

It’s the strength of their ever-growing fanbase that has seen them through. “We’re lucky we have an audience all around the world. We do nothing but gig, gig, gig. It’s pretty difficult without being active.”

Long before downloading and streaming altered the music landscape, Deep Purple never underestimated the importance of consistent touring and getting out to the fans, a reality for today’s artists.

As the industry power struggle continues, the idea of a music industry governed by record labels is one that appears foreign to Glover. “Never should the two meet in my opinion. It’s an oxymoron, music business.”

Despite the industry climate, Deep Purple remains steadfast in their beliefs. ”More than ever it’s a business, I think we’re one of the last holdouts.” He sees a big difference between what Deep Purple and other supposed music industry acts do.

“To me there’s a big divide between pop and rock. Pop is a confection and rock is a way of life.”

“It’s odd that we share the same business structure as Rihanna and Madonna and all that; yet we have nothing to do with it.” He’s quick to clarify however that he doesn’t necessarily dislike or hold a grudge against divas.

“I’m not against pop music, I like a good pop record. But to me there’s a big divide between pop and rock. Pop is a confection and rock is a way of life.” It isn’t pop music, but the instant celebrity culture of today that mostly troubles Glover.

“It’s not the kids’ fault, because they’ve grown up with this kind of culture of ‘I’m a celebrity’ or whatever. You’ve got to be famous and it was never like that in the early days. You did it because you loved it, you weren’t actually worried about being successful,” he reflects.

“You just did it because it moved you and you were passionate about it.”

“Before we got any kind of success we were on the road for years and years doing clubs, basically learning how to deal with life, how to deal with failure, how to deal with all the shit you have to put up with. Whereas that doesn’t happen anymore,” he laments.

Sounding more like a parent that wants his kids to succeed, rather than someone experiencing bitterness, he is disappointed in the current structure of the music industry. ”It’s kind of sad really, there are a lot of good musicians, a lot of good music.”

“There’s tons of good stuff around but it doesn’t stand a chance in hell of moving that many people, because there’s so many people, so many genres and sub-genres. You can’t possibly keep up with it.” While Glover conveyed his worry of sounding like ‘the old man,’ there are clearly many music fans, of varying ages, that have similar feelings of angst when it comes to the music industry power structure.

“We just played a huge gig in Moscow and as far as I could see [there was] hardly anyone under 20, it was all teenagers. There’s something about honest music being played by real musicians.”“But as we get around the world, our audience is getting younger and younger and it’s growing.”

He believes in his wisdom that it could be a sign of tastes being more diverse and people not just digesting electronic-based music. “Maybe there’s a backlash against that or a start of one, I don’t know. But as we get around the world, our audience is getting younger and younger and it’s growing. We’re playing to more and more people than we ever did, as far as I can see.”

Glover attributes much of their current popularity to the “warm feeling” of the music, a vibe he gets when listening older bands. “You put a Doors album on and if you close your eyes, you’re almost in the same room with them. There’s no technical wizardry going on, it’s just four people making music.”

While many brands have been slapped on Deep Purple, as to what area they fit into, Glover likes to refer to it as “honest music.”

The term may conjure up some vision of new age sensitive rock, but Glover uses it more to describe the musical process in the studio. “This album we just finished [with Bob Ezrin], we were all in the studio at the same time, playing at the same time. There’s a certain honesty in that.”

As natural as it may appear, Glover is thankful every day for being able to remain a travelling musician. “We’re very lucky and I’m very happy that we’re still around and making music. We’re still really having lots of fun doing it.”

2013 will see more of the same for the rock gods, as they gear up to promote and perform the new album, not before heading over to Australia for their first show down under in two years, taking part in an epic double bill with ‘70s pop-rock heroes Journey.

“It’s a real privilege to be in a band and have sold out shows and have audiences liking it and bottom line: going away happy.”

Deep Purple tour Australia with co-headliners Journey, starting from February 26th, dates and details below.